Positive Expiratory Pressure for the Treatment of Acute Asthma in Children

November 6, 2017 updated by: University of Colorado, Denver

Positive Expiratory Pressure for the Treatment of Acute Asthma Exacerbations in Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Asthma is a leading cause of emergency department (ED) visits for children. A novel way of treating asthma is the use of positive expiratory pressure (PEP). Positive expiratory pressure works by creating pressure in the lungs to keep airways open and to clear mucus from the lungs. PEP is already used in the treatment of asthma at the investigators institution, but studies evaluating the efficacy of PEP therapy in asthma exacerbations do not exist. This study plans to learn more about the use of PEP therapy in the treatment of asthma exacerbations in children in the emergency department. Specifically, the study aims to evaluate if PEP therapy reduces the severity of asthma exacerbations in children and if it reduces the need for additional therapies and admission to the hospital. This study will be a randomized control trial comparing children who receive standard therapy to those who receive standard therapy plus PEP therapy in the treatment of asthma exacerbations. Children age 2 to 18 years presenting to the ED with moderate to severe asthma exacerbations will be included in the study. Reduction in clinical asthma severity will be measured by change in the Pulmonary Asthma Score (the respiratory severity score used at the investigators institution). The need for additional therapies and hospitalization will also be evaluated.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
52

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Colorado
      • Aurora, Colorado, United States, 80045
        • Childrens Hospital Colorado

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

2 years to 18 years (ADULT, CHILD)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age >= 2 and < 18 years of age
  • Established diagnosis of asthma, defined as at least two prior episodes of treatment with bronchodilators in their lifetime
  • Initial ED presentation with a moderate to severe asthma exacerbation, as defined by a pulmonary asthma score (PAS) >7
  • PAS score >7 and <12 after completion of first line therapies (three doses albuterol/ipratropium bromide and oral corticosteroids)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Do not receive complete first line therapies
  • Immediately receive a disposition (admission or discharge) as determined by the treating clinician after completion of first line therapies
  • Receive prednisone or more than two doses of inhaled bronchodilators prior to main ED evaluation (e.g. during EMS transport or primary care visit)
  • Co-morbid illnesses interfering with or contraindicated to usual asthma therapy (e.g. facial or airway abnormalities, pneumonia, chronic lung disease, congenital heart disease, cystic fibrosis, or pneumothorax)
  • Critically ill at presentation
  • Pregnant women (women known to be pregnant at the time of enrollment)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
  • Allocation: RANDOMIZED
  • Interventional Model: PARALLEL
  • Masking: SINGLE

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
EXPERIMENTAL: EzPAP
Patients randomized to the EzPAP arm will receive first-line therapies and PEP therapy via EzPAP. All patients will receive 4 cycles with 12 breaths per cycle. 4 cycles is considered one time administration.
Drug: EzPAP
Other Names:
  • Positive Expiratory Pressure (PEP)
SHAM_COMPARATOR: Standard care
Patients randomized to the control arm will receive first-line therapies and standard therapy.
Other: Standard Care

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Pulmonary Asthma Score (PAS)
Time Frame: 0-30 minutes
The primary outcome was the change in asthma severity as determined by change in Pulmonary Asthma Score (PAS) before and after administration of intervention (or control). The same trained, blinded physician assessor, who was not involved in the care of the patient, assessed PAS scores for study subjects before intervention (or control), and 15 minutes after completion of administration. The PAS is a pediatric asthma severity scoring system adapted from previously validated scores, and includes measures of respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, auscultory findings, retractions, and dyspnea. Values from each category are summed producing a total score between 5 and 15. Total scores < 7 correspond with mild asthma exacerbations, while scores ≥ 7 and < 12 indicate moderate asthma, and scores ≥12 to 15 indicate severe asthma. The primary outcome was determined by subtracting the post-intervention score from the pre-intervention score.
0-30 minutes

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of Participants Requiring Second Line Therapies Including Continuous Albuterol, Subcutaneous Terbutaline, IV Magnesium and Supplemental Oxygen After Administration of Intervention or Control
Time Frame: participants will be followed for the duration of ED stay, an expected average of 6-8 hours
Second line therapies include: continuous albuterol, intravenous magnesium sulfate, subcutaneous or intravenous terbutaline, non-invasive ventilation (BiPAP or CPAP), and supplemental oxygen. The need for these second line therapies will be assessed by the child's treating team in the Emergency Department.
participants will be followed for the duration of ED stay, an expected average of 6-8 hours
Rate of Inpatient Hospitalization
Time Frame: After intervention or control and until follow-up phone call 72 hours after disposition
Number of patients in each group requiring hospital admission
After intervention or control and until follow-up phone call 72 hours after disposition

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Colorado, Denver

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Nidhya Navanandan, MD, University of Colorado, Denver

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 1, 2014

Primary Completion (ACTUAL)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 1, 2016

Study Completion (ACTUAL)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 12, 2017

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 28, 2014

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 7, 2015

First Posted (ESTIMATE)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 10, 2015

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ACTUAL)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
December 8, 2017

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 6, 2017

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 14-1106

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